Producer+engineer+artist

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I just sang a cover song that will be licenced in a commercial. I've signed to produce an album of similar songs for the same publisher. I'm producing music as an artist, myself. I'm composing a soundtrack for a short film.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Not anyone yet. I'm new to the platform.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! They both have their purposes.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That I work for free. "Exposure" is not a form of compensation!

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Communication is the most important thing. I'm keeping my prices lower since I'm totally new to the soundbetter platform and am happy to prove myself. But price is important. I think people generally underestimate the cost of music/audio production. They end up paying for subpar work and get disappointed. Audio professionals are basically self-employed, so be clear and honest with them about your expectations and you'll know if you have the right person for the job. But remember: price does often determine quality.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Tyler the Creator. I appreciate artists that look to stand out and NOT try to sound like everyone else. It's misleading because a lot of the music business is built off of similarities. "Who do you sound like?" There's nothing wrong with this, but artists make art, they don't make soundalikes. You look at a guy like Tyler the Creator and it's so obvious, especially when Igor came out, this guy really understands music and how to have artistic vision. That's exciting to me.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: I've become a huge fan of Mike Dean. Even though I've worked a lot in indie pop and scoring for films, hip hop was one of the main genres of music I grew up with. I also love the classics: Brian Wilson, Phil Specter and Quincy Jones are obvious influences to my sound.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: What's the timeline? It always depends.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I started playing and studying music at a young age. Following graduation, I toured internationally, came back to the US and built my own recording studio. I produced music for films, video games, and my own artist releases. I continue to do the same thing today.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: You have to learn something new everyday.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Pop, singer-songwriter, rock, indie pop

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Multi-instrumentalism

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My experience as a multi-instrumentalist and vocal producer, has enabled me to be a strong asset for both individuals artists looking for a close-networking producer, as well as established music production teams that may need someone to contribute a quality guitar or keyboard performance to enhance their project. The truth is, I've been playing guitar, bass and keyboards for 20 years. A lot artists simply need a producer that can actually play, and that's what I bring to the table. Samples are great, but that's what everyone is using. Originality is important.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When working with artists remotely, we try to get the best possible vocal recordings for them, so that we can process their vocals and get them to a professional sound they are happy with. Other artists look for exciting elements to be added to one of their songs-in-progress. Original guitar sounds, bass guitar, and synthesizers, are all instrumental elements I've been hired in the past to contribute to all kinds of productions. I'm also always doing a lot of editing and mixing for people. It's a real passion of mine to deliver quality work. Too many freelance mixing engineers rely on presets - I call it "cookie cutter" mixing. The truth is, every production requires detail and focus, you never cut corners with your work, and it's been the reason I've found so much without freelancing platforms like soundbetter, I make sure my clients get my best work.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Setup: Custom PC i7-4790k, 32 Gb Ram Pro Tools, Ableton Live Outboard Gear ATC SCM 25a speakers Audient Converters LA-610, 2-610 Universal Audio Preamps Synthesizers Guitars tons of other mics and stuff

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Music production and mixing/mastering tracks

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: We recently produced a cover of the song "America" by Simon and Garfunkel. I think the song displays not only my vocal abilities, but our dogged attention to detail in recreating such an iconic song, and yet with a much more modern, laid-back rendition.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: If you are serious about the work, you will always have a great resource in me. I believe in many artists and want to support people that don't have ready access to the equipment and experience that I have.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That I get to be creative and form great collaborations with talented people that are serious about their art and want to grow their careers.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What do envision this project being? What is a realistic timeline for you?

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My computer, my audio interface, my speakers, my guitar, and my microphone.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Original.